


Rota? What Rota?

by Maya_Koppori



Category: Zombies Run!
Genre: Gen, Radio Cabel, That's it, really there are just allusions to sex, zoe is a mother hen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-20
Updated: 2015-09-20
Packaged: 2018-04-22 11:23:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4833530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maya_Koppori/pseuds/Maya_Koppori
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Where are Jack and Eugene?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rota? What Rota?

 

 

"And to little Michael- remember, always knock before you go into someone else's room."

"Jamie told him to say that, Michael. He's not mad at you for interrupting his... conversation with Miss Archie anymore, but he doesn't want it to happen again, yeah?"

"Er... Quite right, Zoe! Well, ci-ti-zens, that wraps up our segment on Tips for Tots. We will be right back to our Children's Hour after this song!"

Phil flipped the switch, making doubly sure that the red "ON AIR" light was off before turning to his co-host. "That poor guy," he said, shaking his head. 

Zoe chuckled. "I know. Can you imagine? Getting caught 'building model airplanes' by a kid you're raising?"

"I was talking about Michael," Phil corrected, frowning. "And would you stop using that silly euphemism? You do realize that Jack and Eugene were actually building airplanes?"

"I know that, but half of New Canton doesn't." Zoe checked the clock. "Speaking of thing one and thing two, where are they? It's a quarter till; they should be using Gene's crutches to ram the door down by now."

Heat rushed to Phil's face. "You don't think..."

"Oh, get your head out of the gutter, Cheeseman." Zoe grunted and hauled herself out of her chair. "I'll go see what's keeping them."

Phil looked uncertain. "I dunno, Zoe, what am I going to do when- Aha, hello there ci-it-zens! Zoe has, ah, stepped out for a mo, you know how women are-"

Zoe shook her head and slipped out of the comm's shack into the open air of New Canton. Phil would be fine for a few minutes, and then they could make up for all of his bungling and dead air by poking fun at Jack and Eugene... Wherever they were. 

She tried the cafeteria first, with no luck. The only late starters were Nadia and Runner 20- Nadia had laryngitis, and therefore a few days off for her voice to recover.  

"I haven't seen them," Archie said around a mouthful of eggs. "Not since yesterday, at least. They were talking to Abel's Runner Three about something to do with... Nadia, was it about tube tops? I don't really like tube tops. Why are they even called tube tops? Are they made the same way as tube socks?"

"Sports bras," Nadia interrupted, wincing around the crackle in her voice. "Loads of them. Which Runner brings in the most."

Archie nodded sagely. "Right. I think the one who finds all of the sports bras is Runner Five. But it could be our Runner Thirteen, perhaps? Ooh, I will ask Jamie who he thinks it is. We will make a bet!"

Zoe sighed. She really didn't need to be thinking about Archie and Jamie right then, thank you very much. "Thanks, Archie. Get well soon, Nadia, before they put Phil back on as Operator."

Nadia pulled a face that Zoe felt was safe to interpret as an avid promise to prevent that from ever happening again, and with that Zoe continued her search. 

Jack and Eugene hadn't been in New Canton for very long, but Zoe was a quick study. If they weren't stuffing their faces, chatting up the runners, or loitering around the comm's shack, there was only one more place they could be. 

* * *

"What? Eugene and Jack?" Sam shook his head. "Sorry, Zoe. Haven't spoken to them since last night."

"How can they disappear for two hours in a base this size?" Zoe snapped. She flattened her hands against the table, glaring at the graining in the wood. "Where would they go? I've looked everywhere I can think of."

Sam set his book down and folded his hands beneath his chin. "You know, that's what's been bothering me! I haven't spoken to them since last night!"

"You've lost me."

"We always run into each other in the mornings," Sam explained. "At the showers, you know? But they weren't there this morning. Thought it was odd, but didn't really worry. Figured they had an early start."

Zoe blinked slowly. “The opposite, actually. It was my mine and Phil’s turn to… Rise at the crack of…” She smacked her forehead. It couldn't be that simple. They were grown men. It just couldn’t be that simple. “Thanks, Sam. I’ve got to run.”

She heard Sam snort as the library door slammed behind her. “Yeah, like I’ve never heard that one before.”

* * *

 

The tents were arranged in orderly rows, like everything else in New Canton it seemed. It only took Zoe a minute or two of jogging through the aisles between the canvas to find Jack and Eugene’s. She realized that she couldn’t very well knock, so she braced herself for whatever may be awaiting her and ripped down the zipper of the entrance flap.

If she hadn’t been so worried about them, Zoe would have gone and dug up a disposable camera to capture the moment. The living space had been provided with two sets of cots, of course, but at present one of them lay empty. The banes of her morning were curled up, all still-present legs entangled beneath the covers. As the light slanted through the entryway, Jack groaned and turned his face into Eugene’s neck before settling again into his deep sleep.

A glance at the ground told Zoe all she needed to know- the full deck of cards scattered amongst the biggest pile of dice and figurines she had ever seen was evidence enough of a bona fide all-night RPG geek session.

No wonder they were so exhausted. “You morons,” she sighed.

Apparently, that was enough to rouse Eugene. He tried to sit up but found himself under the full weight of his boyfriend’s comatose body. “Whoisitzombiesoiwheresmybloodybat-”

“Calm down, it’s just me,” Zoe assured him. “You’re late, sleeping beauties. Next time maybe don’t stay up all night playing Evening of the Shambling Ones, yeah?”

“But ‘s’his fault!”

“No ‘s’not,” Jack slurred, yawning. “Whaddarwe talking about?”

“We’re late, Mr. I-Don’t-Need-Sleep-So-I’ll-Drag-My-Boyfriend-Into-My-Raging-Insomnia.”

Zoe smirked and turned to leave. “Hurry up now, boys. I had to leave Phil on his own, and your turn on the rota started twenty minutes ago.”

“Bollocks!”


End file.
